SCF Tournament, Elite Eight - Hulk Hogan vs. John Cena

[Slyfox696]

The following match is scheduled for one fall. The match is held in Los Angeles, California and is an Elite Eight matchup. All seeds represent overall tournament seeding.



https://steelcageforums.com/tourney/pics/hulkhogan.jpg


https://steelcageforums.com/tourney/pics/johncena.jpg



#4 Hulk Hogan

vs.
#5 John Cena






The discussion period will last for two days, followed by two days for voting. You may vote for whomever you feel deserves to win this match. Please post your reasons below if you wish.

[SSJPhenom]

Oh boy, the titans are facing off in this match.

You've got Hogan who brought wrestling to the world wide stage in the mid 80s to early 90s. Then he reinvented himself and helped make WCW the biggest company in wrestling there for a few years. Hogan's star power can never be denied. He was the first real wrestler to benefit from merchandise and the first to make politics as important to getting over as fan reaction. I've said this before, whether you like Hogan or don't, his impact on the BUSINESS of Professional Wrestling cannot be denied.

Then there's Cena. An argument can be made that he's the modern day Hulk Hogan. He's traded in his vitamins and prayers for loyalty and respect. Plus, he's taken the hand away from his ear, brother and put it in front of his face. (Stole that from a Cena promo with CM Punk) He's a sixteen time champ and has been the face of the WWE for about the past 12 years.

This is a tough one. Both guys have the legacy and both guys have been protected kayfabe wise during their careers. So let's break this down: In ring ability definitely goes to Cena. Cena has put on some bonafide classics during his career. Hogan has to, don't get me wrong. Hogan's classics, though, were more about the spectacle then it was about the wrestling that was going on. Mic skills would also have to go to Cena, but Hogan was no slouch. Let's be real, Hogan isn't going to be remembered for his ability to speak. Drawing power has to go to Hogan. As I've said, he brought wrestling to the dance and he kept it there. Then he brought an ugly girl to the dance in WCW and made her one of the popular chicks for awhile. Cena has definitely been the one carrying the main load of drawing for the WWE over the past decade but nowadays it's more about the ensemble on the card then it is about the star. Overall legacy I think also has to go to Hogan. If Cena were to retire right now then Hogan would be remembered for more in wrestling down the road then Cena would. Cena still has some time to accomplish some things, but I think Hogan's name holds higher regard in the business right now then Cena's does.

Well they're 2-2 with my little breakdown so who to vote for? I have no idea. I'm going to wait until smarter people than I make their arguments.

[Spidey]

Both wrestlers have become part of pop culture, so I can see how this would be a difficult choice to make. I am going with Hulk Hogan here over John Cena though. At his peak, Hogan was not just the face of the WWE, but the face of pro wrestling itself. His mannerisms and speech patterns are still being imitated today and I just don't see folks twenty years from now waving their hands in their face saying "You Can't See Me". I wholly believe nobody is bigger than WWE in the modern age but WWE, even when Cena was on top. There is also something about Hogan that was like capturing lightning in a bottle. For a healthy share of Cena's career, he borrowed from Eminem's popularity and relied on homophobic remarks to get himself over his opponents. No matter what went on backstage, Hogan did an impressive job in making himself appear the hero even as his shtick began to stale.

Of course this led to him making the most famous heel turn of all time and revitalizing pro wrestling twice while Cena just can't change no matter how badly people would pay to see it. For this I am voting Hogan. There just seems to be more depth to Hogan when he was in his 40s than Cena.